Centrifugally operated ball projecting device



Dec. 27, 1966 R. E. LEE 3,294,077

CENTRIFUGALLY OPERATED BALL PROJECTING DEVICE Filed March 11, 1964 1 -INVENTOR. ROBE/P7" E. LEE

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A TTOR/VEY United States Patent 3,294,977 CENTRWUGALLY OPERATED BALL PRGEECTHNG DEVICE Robert E. Lee, PA). Box 142, North Branch, Minn. 55056 Filed Mar. 11, 1964, Ser. No. 351,643 8 Claims. {CL 124-4) This invention relates to improved apparatus for propolling a ball, and more particularly it concerns novel structure adapted to propel a golf ball or similar article into a receptacle for amusement or game purposes.

The general object of the invention is to improve ball propelling game apparatus. Other objects of the invention are: to provide improved ball propelling apparatus including means for holding a ball in position at the end of an arm until the arm is swung from a rearward position through an are into a forward position; to provide apparatus of this type including means for releasing the ballholding means When the arm is in a forwardly disposed position whereby to take advantage of the kinetic energy in the arm without subjecting the ball to an impact force or sudden blow at the moment of its release; to provide a ball propelling device characterized by lightweight design, economy or manufacture and ease of operation; and in general to provide an improved ball propelling device which is highly versatile and dependable in operation, unique in the coaction of its parts, and rugged and long wearing in service.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of representative embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein a preferred and an alternate embodiment of the device are shown by way of illustration and not by way of limitation.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary side view of one form of the invention, the dotted lines indicating the ball propelling arm in a ball release position;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary rear view of the structure shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view, partially in section, taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary view, partially in section, taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 4, showing the pawl member in one position;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken on the line 6-6 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 5 showing the pawl member in a second position;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view taken on the line 88 of FIGURE 1.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 7 representing the preferred form of apparatus according to the invention, a yoke-shaped frame 159%) is provided having a pair of spaced parallel legs 1 22 that are connected at their upper ends by a curved portion 164. The bottom of legs 192 are connected by a laterally extending support 1&6 which terminates at each end in a pair of opposed foot rests 108, 110. A pair of laterally spaced generally forwardly extending struts 112, 114 are joined by a pair of downwardly and forwardly inclined struts 116, 118, which are secured at their upper ends to legs 1112, to form a chute-like framework 119 for the device. Extending upwardly and forwardly from support 166 is a curved shield plate 124 which is connected at its forward end to the forward end of framework 119.

Secured to the top of frame 166 is a centrally vertically positioned tubular member 124 within which is slidably mounted for reciprocal movements with respect to frame 160 a plunger 126. Plunger 126 is provided with an elongated shank 128 equipped at its upper end with a laterally extending handle 130 having hand portions 132, 134 on each side of shank 128. The lower end of plunger 126 is slotted and drilled, as at 127.

In the preferred form of the device, frame 160 is equipped with a laterally extending member 136 connecting legs 102 near the top of frame 100. Also provide-d is a semi-circular support 138 that is connected at each end thereof to legs 102 and which extends rearwardly of frame 100 at the level of member 136. A generally hollow ball-propelling arm 140 is mounted for swinging movements within and through frame 100 by means of a hollow laterally extending upper portion 142. A forwardly extending clevis type link 144 is secured to the top of arm 140 at its juncture with portion 142. Operatively connecting clevis link 144 and the lower end 127 of plunger 126 is a link member 146 having pivotal connections 148, 150. The rear of arm 14% is provided with a ball supporting holder 152 consisting of a pair of downwardly diverging slender rigid supports 154 connected at their lower ends to each side of a ball receiving ring 156 which is mounted just above the lower end of arm 140. Above the upper ends of supports 154, arm 140 is provided with a longitudinal slot 158 which communicates with its interior. On the forward surface of arm 140 a similar longitudinal slot 160 is formed through the wall of arm 140 and extends from below the upper end of supports 154 to the lower end of arm 140.

Pivotally secured to the lower end of arm 140, by means of a pin 162, is a ball engaging pawl member 164. Pawl member 164 is annular in shape and overlies the end of arm 140 into the area of the ring 156. Its forward surface 166, inclined upwardly with respect to arm 140, is threadedly equipped with a short rigid stop member 168 that is positioned to enter slot 166 adjacent the end of arm 141). A jam nut 170 serves to hold stop member 168 in a desired position within slot 160. A slender elongated push rod 172, slidably carried within arm 140 adjacent its lower end, has a bevelled lower end 174 which is engageable with stop member 168. Push rod 172 is normally biased into contact with stop member 168 by means of a spring 176, which is connected at its lower end to a bracket 178 on arm 140 and at its upper end to a built up section 180 on push rod 172 that rides in slot 160 out of the plane of arm 140. Push rod 172 is connected at its upper end to a flexible elongated tension member 182 which passes therefrom upwardly within arm 140 through slot 158 to connect with support 138 of frame 100 by means of chain member 184. Chain member 184 is equipped at its upper end with an adjustable screw and nut combination 1 86 which is attached to the center of support 138.

As shown in FIGURES 5 and 7, when arm 14a is rotated rearwardly 'by the downward motion of plunger 126 and link member 146, spring 176 urges pawl member 164 into engagement with a ball disposed in ring 156 thus preventing the ball from dropping through. When arm 140 is swung forwardly into a ball propelling position, pawl member 164 is rotated about pin 162 by virtue of the pull exerted upon push rod 172 by flexible members 182 and 184. The combined length of the flexible members 182, 184 and push rod 172 is such that pawl member 164 is rotated out of the area of ring 156 thereby permitting the ball to be propelled therefrom. The distance and trajectory of the ball can be governed by the amount of force imparted to plunger 126 and the adjustable length of chain member 184 permits the pawl action to be precisely set to assure optimum results. Wear upon stop member 168 may be accounted for by its threaded connection with pawl member 164.

I claim:

1. In a ball propelling device, an upright yoke shaped frame, a generally hollow arm pivotally'rnounted within and swingable through said frame from a rearwardly inclined ball holding position to a forwardly inclined ball release position, said arm having a forward slot extending upwardly from its lower free end and a rearward slot in upwardly spaced relation to the said forward slot, a plunger carried by said frame above said arm and mounted for reciprocal movement with respect to said frame, a pivotal link means operatively connecting the lower end of said plunger with the upper end of said arm for pivotal movement of the latter, a ball support carried adjacent the lower free end of said arm, a ball engaging pawl member pivotally carried by said arm below said ball support for movement from a ball holding position to a ball release position, a push rod slidably mounted within said arm and engageable with said pawl member, means biasing said push rod into engagement with said pawl member whereby to normally urge the same in a ball holding position, and a flexible elongated tension means slidably carried within said arm and extending through the said rearward slot connecting said push rod with said frame and adapted to move said push rod out of engagement with said pawl member and permit the release of a ball from said support when said arm is swung into a ball release position by said plunger.

2. The device described in claim 1 wherein said biasing means includes spring means connected between said arm and said push rod.

3. The device described in claim 1 wherein said tension member is longitudinally adjustable with respect to its connection with said frame.

4. The device described in claim 1 wherein said frame includes a foot support extending laterally outwardly from each side thereof.

5. The device described in claim 4 wherein an upwardly concave shield member extends forwardly of said foot support'from said frame.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein said pawl member includes a slender rigid stop member and wherein said push rod is tapered at its end whereby to gradually engage said stop member when said push rod is biased towards said pawl member.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein said stop member is threadedly adjustably carried by said pawl member.

8. In a ball propelling device, an upright yoke shaped frame having a lower end engageable with any suitable surface for supporting the device, a generally hollow ball propelling arm pivotally mounted within and swingable through said frame from a rearwardly inclined ball holding position to a forwardly inclined ball release position, said arm having a forwardly positioned slot in communication lwith its lower free end and having a rearwardly positioned slot above the said forward slot, a rearwardly extending support member carried by said frame substantially adjacent the upper end of said arm and adapted to permit said arm to be swung into a rearwardly inclined ball holding position, a plunger carried by said frame above said arm and mounted for vertical reciprocal movements with respect to said frame, a pivotal link means operatively connecting said plunger with said arm whereby to impart swinging movements to said arm by the vertical actuation of said plunger, a ball support carried adjacent the lower free end of said arm, a ball engaging pawl member pivotally carried by said arm below said ball support for movement from a ball holding position to a ball release position, push rod means slidably mounted within said arm and engageable with said pawl member, spring means normally biasing said push rod means into contact with said pawl member to urge the same into a ball holding position, and a flexible elongated tension member carried within said arm and extending through the rearward positioned slot thereof connecting said push rod means with said support member and adapted to pull Said push rod means out of contact with said pawl member when said arm is swung into a ball release position by the actuation of said plunger.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/1960 Guss 273l29 7/1964 Suchland 273-129 X 

1. IN A BALL PROPELLING DEVICE, AN UPRIGHT YOKE SHAPED FRAME, A GENERALLY HOLLOW ARM PIVOTALLY MOUNTED WITHIN AND SWINGABLE THROUGH SAID FRAME FROM A REARWARDLY INCLINED BALL HOLDING POSITION TO A FORWARDLY INCLINED BALL RELEASE PORTION, SAID ARM HAVING A FORWARD SLOT EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM ITS LOWER FREE END AND A REARWARD SLOT IN UPWARDLY SPACED RELATION TO THE SAID FORWARD SLOT, A PLUNGER CARRIED BY SAID FRAME ABOVE SAID ARM AND MOUNTED FOR RECIPROCAL MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT TO SAID FRAME, A PIVOTAL LINK MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTING THE LOWER END OF SAID PLUNGER WITH THE UPPER END OF SAID ARM FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF THE LATTER, A BALL SUPPORT CARRIED ADJACENT THE LOWER FREE END OF SAID ARM, A BALL ENGAGING PAWL MEMBER PIVOTALLY CARRIED BY SAID ARM BELOW SAID BALL SUPPORT FOR MOVEMENT FROM A BALL HOLDING POSITION TO A BALL RELEASE POSITION, A PUSH ROD SLIDABLY MOUNTED WITHIN SAID ARM AND ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID PAWL MEMBER, MEANS BIASING SAID PUSH ROD INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID PAWL MEMBER WHEREBY TO NORMALLY URGE THE SAME IN A BALL HOLDING POSITION, AND A FLEXIBLE ELONGATED TENSION MEANS SLIDABLY CARRIED WITHIN SAID ARM AND EXTENDING THROUGH THE SAID REARWARD SLOT CONNECTING SAID PUSH ROD WITH SAID FRAME AND ADAPTED TO MOVE SAID PUSH ROD OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID PAWL MEMBER AND PERMIT THE RELEASE OF A BALL FROM SAID SUPPORT WHEN SAID ARM IS SWUNG INTO A BALL RELEASE POSITION BY SAID PLUNGER. 